"I believe that the issue of Iran and Iran's position in international relations is very important," said Ghalibaf in a national TV debate on Sunday.
The contender said that expanding Iran's relations with all countries in the world is of great importance to him, criticizing the Western countries for pushing Iran towards a politically-motivated and security-centered approach towards the Western states by founding and supporting the Zionist Israeli regime that has always wanted to disrupt integration among nations.
"One of things that I am proud of is that I never set aside the struggle against the Zionist regime," the presidential hopeful said.
Ghalibaf noted that Iran is in a strategic geographical location in the world, which has to be employed to maximize the Iranian nation's gains.
"Iran is the best place to stop and change the flight destination," he added.
Iran will hold presidential elections on June 28, following the martyrdom of President Ebrahim Raeisi and his entourage in a helicopter crash in May.
Six candidates are running for the post of president in Iran, namely Saeed Jalili, Alireza Zakani, Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Masoud Pezeshkian.
The election campaign period began on Sunday and will run until June 26, with the nationwide presidential election slated to be held on Friday, June 28.
The new administration, the 14th one after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, will assume power in late June or early July and hold office for four years.
MNA